Apparatus for extracting the volatilizable contents of sedimentary strata.



PATENTED AUG. 11, 1908. D. R. BAKER.

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0P SEDIMENTARY STRATA. APPLIOATIOI nun JUII. 11, 1002.

WITNESSES:

APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING THE VOLATILIZABLE CONTENTS INVENTOR IATFORNEYUNITEDSTATES .,PATENT OFFICE. ELos-a. BAKER, or DELAWARE, 01110.

.LPPLBATUB FOB- EXTRAQTING YOLATEIZABLE CONTENTS OF BEDDE ENTAEY i 1STRATA.

specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug; 11, 1908.

lA umion and June 11,1902. Serial No. 111,093.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, DsLos R. BAKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Delaware in the countyof "Delaware, and

I State of bhio, have invented a certain new of a iparatus for theextraction and recovery of t e volatilisablo contents of sedimentarystrata; and the objects of my invention are to provide apparatus andmeans of novel construction for the purpose above set forth, and toproduce certain improvements 1n details of construction and arrangementof parts which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objectsaccomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 shows a vertical section through two connected earthwells or channels and their contents. Fi 2 is a transverse section online :0 aof l ig. 1. Fig.3 is a detail plan'view of one of the lowerguide rings and ig. 4 is a section on line gig of Fig. 3.

imilar numerals refer to simi ar, parts throughout the several views. t

In carrying out my invention, I employ a channel .or well 1 formedin theearth, which althou h preferably vertical may extend instead in otherdirections, if desired. 'The well thus emplo ed preferably has its lowerortion of less iamoter than its upper porion as indicated at l. The uper and larger portion of the well is rovidm with a wateright casing 2which ts therein said casing' being formed of sections which are arra edone uponthe other as shown. Within the lower end of the-en argedup orportion of the well 1 and seated upon' he shoulder formed b the junctionof the enlargedand reduce portions of said well, isa plate 3 preferablyof metal and u on and about the latter is arranged a sea ing diaphragm 4of cement, concrete or similar 1nateria plate 7. Bearing upon thiscap-plate is t to upon which is an ierimposed a layer of, dried andpulverized c ay or its e uivalentlower end of a casing 8, the latterextending upward throu h the central portion of the casing 1, as s iown.Extending downward and centrally through the casing 8 is a tube or pipe9, the latter having its lower portion extendin throu h the caplate 7and into the tubu ar pe 'orated bOt y 5, said lower pipe ortion' beingperforated. Bearing u on t 1e sealing diaphragm 4 is a casing 10 ogreater diameter than the casing 8, and between said casings 8 and 10are arranged tubes or 'pipes 11 and 12, said pipes 11 and 12 leadingupward through a top plate 13 of the'exiternal casing 1. The pipe 11passes downward through the lower end portion of the well 1 on the outerside of the tubular body 5, and has its lower portion perforatedasindicated at 11'. The pipe 12 has its lower termination preferab ashort distance below the plate 3. s indicated in the drawing, the spacesbetween the central pipe -9 and easing S and between the casing 10 andeasing 1, are filled with sand-or other suitable'heabinsulatingmaterial.

Atintervals within the casing 10, and fittin l'oosely within the saidcasing, I preferably pr vide guide-rings such as are indicated at 14,each of which as shown more clearly in Fig, 2 'of the drawing, .is inthe nature of an openwork ring having openings for the reception of thetubes or pipes 11 and 12. In the lower portion of the well,-I likewiseprovide at suitable intervals guide-rings or frames 15, each of thelatter consisting of a central ring portion from which project radiallyone or more T-arms 16, one of said arms being enlarged and formed withan opening 16 for the reception of the pipe 11 '1 10 heads of the T-arms1(1' are adapted to bear against the inner surface of the well.

In connection with the well 1, I em loy one or more additional wells 17,each 0 the latter bein as prescribed for said well 1 formed wit a lowerreduced portion 17.

These additiona wells arelocated at a distance from well 1' andcominunicato with well 1 only through. the seams, veins, pores or othernatural openings in said strata. I .The

35 the natural element of said seal.

likewise passes through the central opening in the plate-21 and has itsportion within the' I also provide tubular body 2", perforated. anoutlet pipe 24', which as is the case with 5 the pipe '23, passesthrough an opening intho topplate 25, thence di'm'nward within andthrough the casing 19 through the sealing diaphragm 26 in the loivcr endof the. en-

larged portion of the well, thence through a plate 2,7 correspondingwith the plate 3 and terminating in the lower end of the well, saidterminal portion being perforated as indicated at 28. The reducedportion of the well may be provided as prescribed for the well portion 1with a desirable number of guiderings or frrunes 15. The seaiin diapli'agms 4 and 26-fit so loosely about 1. 1e tubes, and

casings WhlCllPE-lfOllttG the said diaphrairms, as to allow of verticalmotion of sa d tubes and casings without breaking the seal made thesuperiucumbeat layer of pulverized s prescribed for the casings of thewell 1, those ortions of the interior of the casings (F20 which are notoccupied by the material formin the casing 20 'and tubes 23 and 24Jareprovided with. a suitable beet-insulat-.

ingfillmg 29. The said seal of that part 01" the said strata mtervomentbetween the n1- qo nermost portions of said wells respei'ztivcly,

is eiiected partlyby the impervious strata already naturallysuper-incumbent upon said innermost stratawhioh is to he opera ted upon,the said superincumbcnt strata constituting ll artly also itis cilectcdby the said desiccated and .uil'verizcd'clay which I supcriniposc u pontae sealing diaphragm l, wluch elaylayer is the artificial element ofthe said seal. This artificial 40- element of said seal is by its ownnature and condition defended against any disruptive action uponitof'lieat conveyed in any of the ttlb0S.W1lCll enetrnte tberethroughBut that )art of t re natural element of said seal wine 1 liesimmediately contiguous to cit-her the entrance well or the cxitdvllwould be speedily disrupted by the dcsiccating and dcstructivelydistilling action oi lieatradi' ated from said tubes to said casings andfrom said casings into said ccnti inms pin-ts. of said natural elementofsaid sea), and th n, would defeat the operation of the invent-hm, unlesssome adiathermic defense of srl ll casings and thereb of said contiguouspm of said not- 65 ural cement of said. seal were provided.

Hence for this purpose I arrange to iniorpose between said tubes and-thesides of said wells the adiathcrmic defenses above shown and described.incidentally also said whether-- rule defenses operate to conserve theheat of said (laid agents doling their possum through said; tubes intoand out of the innermost (scaled) portions of said wells. But thisconservatieu of boat in passage is but a (WP-" l iary and incidental etl'cct, the primary and 'the earths surface, I provide a Qchief functionof said defenses being the preservation, as said above, of the said sealagainst the disruptive action of heat upon those parts of the saidnatural element of said seal situate contiguous to said wells.

At a suitable point above or adpiccnt to Miller 30 which through a pipe31 connects with a coiled pipe 32 arranged in a chamber 33, said coilediipe' at its lower end being connected through a pipe 34 with the upperend of the pipe 9. Below the coiled p' )B'I employ tire supportinggrate-bars 35. \"ith the up )0! ehd of the pipe 23 is connected a suitale reservoir 36.

he apparatus above described is designed 'to he iili izcd for thepurpose hcreinbcfore set forth, as follows: Steam. or other vapor,generated in the boiler 30 and passed through the coil 3'2 issuper-heated from the fire on the grate-bars 35, said super-heatedsteam, or other-vapor or gas passing through the pipes '3 killt 9 andthrough the perforations of the latter and the perforations of the body5 and thence by means of dilferencoof pressure maintained in the twowells respcctively through the veins, pores, interstices or othernatural channels in said strata to well 1.7, with the resultthat thesedimentary strata. in place in the earth, is operated upon by theheated vapor or gas thus lurnishcd, this operation in turn resulting inthe extraction or the volatilizable contents of the strata in the mannerfully set forth in my former a-p )licatirm for patent, Serial N umber109,835, iled June 2nd, 1902. The operation referred to is briefly asfollows: The'heat conveyed by said heated fluids during their passagethrough said strata, distil therefrom any contents of said strata of iier boiling point than the temperature of the said fluids.

The said distillation by lessening the cubical contents of the saidstrata, disrupts the said strata and opens up therein, crevices andcavities in all directions, thereby exposin progressivel; ever'newsurfaces to the oak process of distillation until at length the saidstrata bythis operation becomes exhausted of its said volatilizablecontents. As set'forth in said former applicationgthe volatilizable conents thus extracted may use outward through the pipe 23 of the we 1 17and col lected in the reservoir 36. Suehliquid" rodact as may resultfrom the action 0, the heated vaponor gas'on the rocks may be withdrawnby suitable means through. the pipe 1.}. or'pi )c 24.

Although have described the use of the means and apparatus herein shownin 0011-.

n rtiou with uteri-in or other vane: geiuirai li super-imam! andconveyed its escribcd, said apparatus is as set forth in my said formerti pllfit'tilifin, adapted for the purpose of com vcyiug to ilksedimentary ol-ifl-lfl in place in the earth, heated gasea vapors orfumes and for the recovery of the volatilizable products of theoperation of said heated gases, vapors or fumes upon the said rocks inplace.

In order to effect and maintain a difference 5 of pressure in the inletand outlet )ipes or tubes and thereby provide a desirab e circulation ofsaid gases, vapors or fumes and of the products of their operation, itis evident that I may employ in connection with said outlef tube, anydesirable or well known form of exhaust puin or engine.

Havin now fully escribed my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is,

In an apparatus for extracting the volatilizable contents of sedimentarystrata in place in the earth, the combination with two earth wellsintercommunicating subterraneously only through natural openin s in saidstrata, and with conduits for the circulation of a heated aeriform lluidfrom the earth's surface through one of said wells to said o )enings,thence through said openin 's, and thence through the other of saidwells back to the earth's surface again, of a well seal consisting ofboth a natural and an artificial element saidartificial element beingcomposed oi adiatherinic material which is interposed betweerfsaidconduits and said natural element.

DELOS It. BAKER. In the presence of- C. (J. SHEPHERD, W. L. Moimow.

